Man Robbed of ₹14,000 After Being Lured by Dating App in Valsad

Mumbai, August 16: In a shocking incident in Valsad district, Gujarat, a man was lured to a secluded location via a dating app and robbed of ₹14,000. The police swiftly apprehended three suspects within hours of the crime.

According to the Dungra police, the incident occurred on the evening of August 12. The 22-year-old victim contacted an unknown individual through the app and was later invited to a spot near a Bharat Petroleum pump in Karwad.

The police reported that the suspects took him to a dark, isolated area, assaulted him, and threatened him with a knife. They allegedly snatched ₹14,000 from him before fleeing the scene. The Dungra police have registered a case regarding the incident.

The investigation, supervised by Police Inspector B.N. Gohil, involved multiple teams reviewing CCTV footage from the crime scene and surrounding areas to identify the suspects through technical analysis.

The arrested individuals have been identified as Shahbaz (19), Zaheer Khan (20), and Jawahar Yadav (19), all from Karwad. Shahbaz hails from Siddharthnagar district in Uttar Pradesh, while Zaheer is a laborer from Balrampur, Uttar Pradesh, and Jawahar is a student from the same area.

The police have recovered the ₹14,000 from the suspects.

The dating app in question is a geolocation-based social networking platform designed for LGBTQ+ adults, particularly gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer individuals. Launched in 2009, the app allows users to search for nearby profiles, chat, and share photos, videos, and voice messages.

This platform is available for adults aged 18 and above and includes features like blocking and reporting to ensure user safety and privacy. Recent incidents across various parts of India have highlighted the misuse of dating apps to lure individuals to isolated locations for robbery or extortion.

In May, Bengaluru police arrested four individuals accused of attacking a 27-year-old engineer after connecting through a dating app. Similarly, in March, Noida police apprehended three suspects for allegedly kidnapping and robbing people through the app, with a similar case reported in Lucknow.

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